WW1 Souvenir

[alchemyst]

Curious about a Great War Souvenir.

It is a bullet with the sharp end split and another piece of metal inserted that looks like a missile/bomb.  It looks like a letter opener.  On one side is engraved GREAT-WAR  on the other side 14-SOUVENIR-18.
Were these common after the war?

Thanks,
Alchemyst

[Ruskie]

Does it look commercially produced or might it be a one off ? Perhaps trench art? Google "trench art" for loads of info and images.

[alchemyst]

Difficult to say whether it looks commercially produced - it's not exactly in pristine condition.  Thanks for the website - might find some answers there.

Alchemyst

[Ruskie]

If you can post a photograph of it and a close up of the engraving, one of the experts might be able to help you further. Sounds interesting whatever it is. 

[alchemyst]

Unfortunately the souvenir does not belong to me or my family and besides that I am not a "youngster" familiar with digital photography or computers (lucky I manage to find my way around as I do - by accident sometimes!).
I had a look at the website - very interesting - the pictures of the letter openers with the bullets look like this one but for the piece that goes into it.  It still looks like a missile to me but for the sake of argument say it looks like the hilt on a sword where it has straight pieces on either side but more depth and then shaped like a sword (wide and to a point).  From the website I learnt that the numbers on the base are called a headstamp - is that any use?
Thanks,
Alchemyst

[PrueM]

Hi alchemyst

It does sound like a piece of trench art.  Because these were made by soldiers etc. they were not of any fixed design and their shape and makeup was entirely at the whim of the creator.

Did you want to find out anything in particular about the piece?

Cheers
Prue

[alchemyst]

This souvenir has, shall we say, "set the cat amongst the pigeons"!.
The story goes that it belonged to an ancestor who was apparently gassed during WW1 - his excuse for abusing his wife! His descendants have found no record of his having served during the War.  So the question is did he buy the souvenir or did the souvenir in fact belong to someone else - perhaps a family member on the other side.  Anyway I thought it was worth trying to possibly find out its origins.  Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea after all.

Many thanks,
Alchemyst

[mmm45]

If you post his name we can help to search for any records that MIGHT be his...a lot were destroyed in 1940 bombing but there are other avenues.

Ady

[alchemyst]

Is it likely that he served? - he was born abt 1876 married with five children - last child born abt 1908.
"In for a penny, in for a pound" - Charles Henry HARDY, Yorkshire.

Many thanks,
Alchemyst